Uganda: Mwenda and His Obsession With Evidence

opinion

Journalist Andrew Mwenda has a penchant for accusing colleagues of relying on rumours and idle gossip to comment on issues, or even write news reports. Listening to him on radio or television, Mwenda is often dazzling with figures, statistics, historical facts and philosophical entry-points. As he takes pride in this, he never misses an opportunity to scold others for lack of similar proficiency. Indeed, his column, "Recapturing Professional Journalism" on how some journalists indulged in gossip and rumour for guidance dripped with insults heralding a somewhat boisterous chastisement. Vintage.

Playing backup analyst, Mwenda has applauded Monitor's Executive Editor Malcolm Gibson for publically denouncing his colleagues for doing "street" journalism. Mwenda is strong that media analysis and reportage in Uganda is clouded in a sour cocktail of "rumour, gossip, biases, prejudice, emotions, ignorance, stupidity, shallow thinking, and lack of rigorous examination of issues." He wonders whether some of his colleagues have ever opened a book at all, concluding, that many have risked their careers by failing to make "a distinction between themselves and a tomato vendor on the street and a pickpocket in the taxi park." Great imagery, there!

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